Killer Queen
by Castiel's Angel 1996
Summary: After her parents disown her, Skyler Lewis joins the Atlanta groups in an aid to survive a world infested by walkers. This will eventually be rated M and will be a DARYLxOC story. Enjoy...
1. The Biker

**I used to HATE The Walking Dead, simply because Zombies terrify me. But after reading a ton of The Walking Dead fanfiction, i got over my fear and now love TWD! So here is my attempt at a fanfic for it. **

I sit in the back of my parents car, bored and annoyed. They have one of their old CDs on, smiling and singing along to the cheery songs; its horrible. I look out the window with a grim expression, wanting nothing but for them to shut up.

I had to admit though, it was kind of amazing how they could still look on the bright side of all of this. Even though Uncle James, my mom's brother, is dead, they're still smiling. Its not like it even happened years ago, it happened hours ago.

And the way he died... it was weird. There was banging on the front door, Uncle James went to answer it and these people just... grabbed him. Now, not a lot of this weird me out, but when they stared biting him, eating him, that was gross.

Much to moms horror, we had to leave James and get ourselves out. We just got in the car and started driving. The news on the radio said that Atlanta is safe and so here we are, waiting on the highway that leads into the city.

We've been sitting in this traffic jam for what feels like days, though its only been about three hours. We're a good mile from the city, though I could still see the tops of the buildings. That should be a something that sent hope and comfort through me, it only made me nervous though.

In a city so large, more of those things could be in there. More could be being created in Atlanta, in ways we don't know how. What if we get into the city and its infested with those monsters, those... zombies?! Being eaten is not on my 'top ten ways to die' list.

My eyes scan over the highway, taking in all the different vehicles. My eyes land to a bike which is a few places in front of us and to the left, sitting next to a old blue truck. The black of the bike shines in the sun and it holds my complete attention. Its beautiful.

I had always wanted a bike but my parents refused to get me one because they're 'too dangerous'. I, of course, thought it was completely stupid. So when I turned eighteen and moved away to college, I got a small part time job. It took me over a year to save up the money but I finally got myself a neat little bike. It was nothing like the beauty in front of me though.

"I'm going for a walk" I inform my parents, opening my car door.

"Stay where we can see you, hon" mom orders in her sing-song voice.

"I'm twenty-three, I can take care of myself" I snap.

I walk through the rows of cars, making my way over to the bike. It sat on its own, its rider missing. I smile, letting out a low whistle as my eyes raked in the sight. I couldn't help myself as I outstretched my arm, my fingers touching the handle.

"Can I help ya?" a voice asked.

I spin around, coming face to face with the bike's owner. He was tall, probably over six foot. He was practically hairless too, with a hard face and lips set in a smirk. His arms were folded over his leather jacket covered chest. His jeans clad legs were set shoulder length apart, feet covered in hard black boots.

"The bikes a babe" I tell him, glancing down at it.

"Sure is" he agrees. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Skyler" I say.

"Well, where's your mom and daddy, Skyler?" he asks.

"So what, your just going to assume I'm some kid?" I snort. "Prefect."

"Oh, honey, nothing about you screams kid" he smirks, eyes racking over my body.

I glance down at myself; I guess he's right. I'm in my blue vest top with a tight black corset over the top and a black cardigan. I also have on a short black skirt which falls to mid-thigh, see-through black tights and my black combat boots. My black hair falls half-way down my chest in waves with green and blue extensions. My skin is pale, I have dark make-up framing my brown eyes and I've also got my eyebrow bar in my left eyebrow. Yeah, I probably don't look much like a kid...

"What's your name then, where's your family?" I ask, my head tilted to the side.

"My parents are lon' gone, only got me brother" he nodded to the blue truck where 'Eye Of The Tiger' was blasting.

"Well, your brother has a good taste in music" I smile.

He strides past me, hitting the window of the truck to make the driver open the window. "Come on out, Daryl, I'll like ta introduce ya to my future wife."

"Future wife?" I snort. "I know more about your brother that I do you, Mr No-name."

The truck door opened and the biker's brother got out. And damn if my stone heart didn't start beating right there. Daryl was a little shorter than his brother, but not by much. His dark hair was cut short and worn messy. There was some scruff framing his thin lips. He wore the same as the biker but I saw angel wings on the back of his jacket. The really gripping this about him though had to be his piercing blue eyes... he was seriously good looking.

"Can ya track?" is the first thing Daryl says, folding his arms and staring me down.

"Nope" I shake my head.

He turns to the biker. "No, Merle, ya ain't gonna marry 'er."

"So, what, if I can't track than I'm not good enough?" I raise my pierced eyebrow.

"Huntin's hot" Daryl shrugs.

"Just because I can't track doesn't mean I wouldn't be a quick learner, I can already kill things" I snap.

"An' what 'ave ya killed, sweetheart" the biker – Merle? - asks.

"Uncle James taught me how to use a gun, caught myself a deer" I shrug. "I can set traps too, caught rabbits, ducks, a few squirrels."

"Hmm" Daryl huffs, looking at me appreciatively. "Not bad, girl."

"My name isn't 'girl', its Skyler" I inform him. We're all quiet for a few minutes before I have to ask, "Have you guys seen those things, the zombie like things?"

We swap our stories, discussing how we found out about the monsters. Merle said about how it was is motel neighbour who became one of them and then attacked a call girl. According to the brothers, the only way to kill one was to injure the head somehow. They called them 'walker's, like the walking dead... makes sense really.

I told them about my encounter. I explained about Uncle James' death. Their faces held no expression as I told them about how he was pulled apart, eaten and chewed on. I also told him about the other people who I had seen being eaten, their guts all over the road as we made our way to Atlanta.

"I'm telling you, there was blood everywhere. We even drove over some guts, now that was squishy" I say.

"Hey!" we turn at the sound of the voice. A woman with long brown hair stands in front of us, hands on her hips. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

"Praising the dark lord Satan" I reply sarcastically, already knowing she doesn't like me. "Would you like to join us in our worshipping."

"How dare you" she snaps. "You think all of this is funny, there are people here who have lost their families!"

"Yeah, well I just lost my uncle" I tell her. "So back off, lady."

"Well we have children who don't need to listen to the filth that comes from your mouth" she tells me.

"Filth?" I chuckle humourlessly. "I'd watch who you're talking to love, I spent five years in Juvie for attempted murder."

I watch as her face pales and she slightly leans back. "Keep your voice down, your near children." she commands quietly before turning and storming off.

"And the all power Satan said to his followers, 'I shall rise and conquer the earth, humanity shall fall and be eradicated'" I call after her.

I turn back to the brothers feeling satisfied. Merle stood there smirking, eyes glowing as he watched the woman walk back to her kid. Daryl just shook his head, though I saw the corner of his mouth pulled up in a small smile.

"Skyler Lewis, just what do you think you are doing?! Telling lies to a woman and scaring her and her children, you should be disgusted in yourself" my mothers shrill voices vibrates through the air around me. "Go and apologize to her this instant."

"No" I snort. "I'd rather make out with a walker."

"Apologize or so help me-!" she warns, her mouth in a firm line.

"Or what mom?" I ask. "I'm an adult now, you can't control me any more. I'm through with living to please you. I'm a bitch who doesn't give a damn about anyone, deal with it or leave me be because I'm sick of being the nice girl."

"Apologize or you can walk to Atlanta" her voice is cold and when I look in her eyes, I know she means it.

"Excuse me, guys, I have to get my bag" I say goodbye to Merle and Daryl.

I walk past my mother, walking straight for the car. I open the door and reach in, grabbing the duffel bag with a few items of my clothes in. I tell my dad what mom said and about my decision, making him sigh and shake his head. After telling each other that we love one another, I start walking down the highway towards the city.

I meet my mom as she's walking back to the car. The only thing she does is tell me that I'm a disappointment and that she is embarrassed to call me her daughter. I've never had a great relationship with her though, things have always been awkward between us.

I had a nanny to bring me up, I was really close to her and everything. I never saw my parents much, they were always working, on a 'adults only' holiday or out at a business party. I only had Sarah and my Uncle James. They're both dead now. Sarah died when I was seventeen of old age, she was seventy-nine. James... well, you know.

"Hey, Sky, get in" Daryl calls to me as I pass. "We're following a group to the mountains, somethin' ain't right with the city. Ya can tag alon'."

I haven't really got any more options, I don't really want to be on my own. My parents won't take me and I only know the brothers. I climb into the truck beside him. "Thanks."

We follow a line of cars as they get off the highway and go down a old dirt track through the trees. The city is on our left and slightly behind as wee make our way through the forest and towards one of the tops of a cliff, following an old RV.

Suddenly, all the cars stop as a loud bag in heard. We all look behind, thrown into silence as we see planes fly over Atlanta City, dropping bombs. The explosions are bright and loud and I could even feel the shock waves.

I watch in horror as one of the planes drop a bomb, though its not near the city. I let out a shriek as it hits the highway, possibly killing hundreds of people; including my parents. My hands cover my mouth in shock and horror. We're about five miles from the highway but I could still imagine the hell going on there.

People were probably out their cars and running, screaming. There must be blood everywhere, bits of metal across the highway. Families would be destroyed and people lay dead. My parents could be dead, my dad and mom. Though I never got on with them, the thought still hurts.

"There ain't nothin' we can do" Daryl whispers as the row of cars start moving again, wanting to get away from the horror on the highway. "'M sorry 'bout ya ma and pa."

I don't respond and instead lean against the window, biting the inside of my cheek to keep in the tears. I knew I was never going to see them again anyway. If they're dead, at least they went quickly instead of falling to the same fate as Uncle James...

I watch the trees go by, trying to count them in order to get my family off my mind. One blurred tree... two blurred trees... three blurred trees... four blurred trees...

**You can probably tell that I'm not a Lori fan-girl...**

**If you decide to leave a review, please be completely truful in them; I can handle negative comments. Thank you!**


	2. Invasion

**I'm back with another chapter!**

**GuardianAngel45: Thank you for taking that chance, I'm normally the same to be honest. I've never liked Lori, don't know why though...**

**SoleFaith: Yes, Daryl is a little out of character - I realized after doing a read through before writing this chapter. I actually thinks he's a hard character to write though, not honestly sure if I'll get him completely right but I'm going to try. **

**To everyone else: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! **

**Now, onto the next chapter. **

**WARNING****: ****Take caution while reading this chapter please, there's a scene that some people may not like.**

I open my eyes to the roof of the tent. It shone slightly in the early morning light and I welcomed the beginning of the new day. Yesterday had been hard for everyone, knowing that if they hadn't have got off that highway, they would probably have been dead.

I throw the blanket off, standing up. I quickly change into my bathing suit before putting yesterdays clothes on over the top. I grab my duffel bag and the towel Dale gave me before leaving the tent. I make sure its zipped up properly.

It was lucky that we were meant to be going on that little get away. The night before Uncle James died, I had packed my little duffel bag and put it in the car. We were all meant to be going on a small holiday, down to a small lake around eighty miles from home. That's why he was staying with us, we were meant to be leaving the afternoon that he died.

I walk through the camp we made last night. The tents were arranged in a circle around the camp fire with RV on the small ledge that over looks the quarry. After seeing that I had no tent, Dale gave me one that he always kept in the RV and helped me to set it up. I was staying in the red tent directly opposite the RV, with I found comforting because it meant that he wouldn't have trouble keeping an eye on me.

Dale was a nice man, maybe in his fifties or sixties? He had a small grey beard and grey hair which could really be seen due to his wearing a hat most of the time. He was really kind yesterday and I instantly liked him, he reminded me of my grandfather who I was really close to.

Grandfather Joe was probably who I was closest to, before Uncle James and Sarah. He died when I was really little though, like, seven or eight? Anyway, he was always saying there really nice things and watching out for people who we didn't even know.

I go down to the quarry, ready to wash away all of yesterdays dirt. Its been two days since I've washed my hair and it feels gross. The bad this was though, I didn't have my coconut shampoo to lather my hair in and instead have to uses Amy's strawberry shampoo.

When Dale was making his way to Atlanta, he found Amy and her older sister Andrea walking along the road. Their car had broken down and, being the good guy he was, Dale offered them a ride. That's how they ended up meeting with us too.

Amy's decided to take a shining to me though. Last night, over a meal of tin potatoes and peas, she chose to sit next to me and talk constantly. She spoke about lots of things, like her favourite books, the celebrities she liked and magical creatures. She was like a kid, not fully grown up yet.

She's nice though, for the most part I could put up with her. She wasn't nosey, didn't ask questions about my personal life, thank god. She did ask about my eyebrow though, only things like if it hurt or 'how did they do it'. I liked answering those questions, normally girls like her shy away from me and my metal eyebrow.

She's the barbie girl. She had long blonde hair, which I bet never gave her any hassle. Her eyes were light and she had one of those big smiles that she gave to anybody. She was fairly tall, thin but not like a stick.

Normally barbie girls stay away from me, scared they'll catch the 'emo disease'; which was ridiculous. There was always set groups of people that you could hang out with. I wouldn't have been able to sit with Amy at her high school lunch table, just like she wouldn't be able to sit at mine. Okay, maybe she would because she's completely obvious to when people give her the 'go away, nobody likes you' looks.

She's nice though and I think she knew that I wasn't too happy, what with leaving my family behind on the highway. I think that's why she didn't ask any questions. It was like she was trying to keep my mind off of my problems and focused on her, trying to keep my mind off of things that would only lower my mood even more. And, though I wouldn't admit it, I was grateful for it.

I drop my bag on a large rock, pulling the flimsy zip open. I set the shampoo and bar of soap, also from Amy, next to it. I pull my blue top over my head and drop it on the floor before shimming out of the skirt; leaving me in just my bikini.

The water is slightly warm, better than the cold I was expecting. Its only late spring or early summer, its a good thing it isn't winter; imagine that horror. I've had to take my fair share of cold showers but I know swimming in the quarry during winter would be ten times worse.

I walk until the water is up to my waist before driving under. Holding my breath, I swim under the water for a few strides before breaking the surface again; willingly accepting the oxygen I'm offered. I roll onto my back and close my eyes, deciding to just let myself drift for a few minutes... this is nice.

So much has changed in twenty-four hours. My uncle is dead, I'm most probably an orphan, I've become disliked by the mothers of a group. I've made a friend who I didn't even want but for some reason like... I'm almost completely alone in the world.

"Hey, Skyler, come here for a sec!" a voice shouts.

I change my position so that my toes can just reach the bottom. Even though I'm a good way from the shore, I can still see the person who called me. I don't know his name though, only that he's Korean. I swim over to him as he removes his hat, wiping his arm across his sweaty forehead.

"What?" I ask, reaching for the shampoo.

"I'm gonna check out the highway, see if there anything left..." he replies, shifting uncomfortably. "I wanted to know if you wanted to come, you know, see if your parents are still there or something..."

I turn, walking deeper into the water. He's going back to the highway?! Isn't that a little dangerous... there hasn't been any more planes though, there's probably nothing there. I shouldn't go, I might find my parents car, or worse, not finding. It could have been blown to smithereens. But then again, at least them I would know, right?

"Thanks, erm..." I trail off, not knowing his name.

"Glenn" he supplies, giving a small smile.

"Glenn. Could you give me, like, fifteen minutes? Just so I can finish up?" I request, finishing rubbing the shampoo into my scalp.

"Oh, yeah, sure, of course" he nods, backing away. "I'll be waiting at camp for you."

"Thanks" I say to his retreating back.

I quickly rinse the shampoo out, scrunching my nose up when I can smell the strawberry as my hair falls around my shoulders. Maybe I could find some different shampoo, I hate strawberries. I quickly scrub at my body to remove any dirt before climbing out of the water.

Wrapping the towel around me, I put the shampoo, soap and old clothes in the bag, slip the flip-flops that I stole on and hurry back to my tent. People have woken up now and they sit around the fire, the women getting breakfast ready and the men are standing in a group talking.

Once inside my tent, I quickly dry myself and rap the towel around my head to help dry my hair. I strip the bikini off and put some my matching black underwear on. With yesterdays clothes thrown in the corner of the tent, I rustle through my bag looking for today's pair.

"Well, hello there sweetheart" a voice says.

"Seriously, Merle?!" I snap.

There stands Merle Dixon, inside my tent with a smirk on his face. I know he's only just arrived, and didn't see me naked, as he's quickly zipping up the tent again. Ignoring him, I go back to finding the clothes that I want to wear.

I pull out a pair of ripped black jeans, a pale green top and a pair of socks. I put my socks on first, then the rest of my clothes; its just easier. I finally turn to face him as I grab my combat boots and pull them on too.

"Don't staring, Merle" I roll my eyes. "Your like a guy who's never seen a woman in her underwear before. Oh, and on that note, don't just walk into my tent."

He shrugs, eyes staying on my chest where my low-cut top reveals the tops of my breasts. "was hoping you ain't go'en ta the panties yet."

"You can keep on hoping, it ain't gonna happen anytime soon" I tell him, moving to open the tent.

Merle grabs me, pulling me back against his chest. One arm wraps around my waist, fingers pushing themselves under the hem of my top while his other hand hold my head tilted to the side. My heart beats fast but I refuse to let the panic win over, he wouldn't dare to try anything, not when I could scream and bring hell down on him.

"Ya want it ta happen though" he whispers, pressing his lips to the side of my neck. His fingers decided to trail lower, this time going under the waistband of my jeans. "I know ya do, sweetheart."

"Let me go" I order, teeth clenched. I pull at the arm that is wrapped around my waist with the left hand, my right arm being pinned to my side because of said arm. "Let me go or so help me I will scream."

"Now, sweetheart, we don't want that" he says against my neck. He tugs lightly on my underwear and I can feel him smirking against my neck as I jerk backwards.

"I mea-" I begin to threat.

"Skyler, you ready?" I sigh with relief as I hear Glenn call for me.

After giving my waist one final squeeze, Merle lets me go. I spin around, backing away from him. His eyes are dark as they meet mine and I know that he would have pushed further if Glenn hadn't of come along. The same stupid smirk is on his face, showing that he was somewhat pleased with himself for unknown reasons.

"If I wanted sex, I would ask for it. Don't force yourself on me" I tell him. "Don't come back to my tent."

I throw the towel onto the floor and storm out of my tent, grabbing Glenn by the arm and pulling him along with me as I walked over to the RV. I ignore the curious looks that some of the others give me after they look over my shoulder and see Merle coming out of my tent.

I cross my arms and listen for the action plan. Three of us were going to the highway, Glenn, Natasha and me. We're to go down, look for any survivors and get any supplies from the cars that we can. Shane, the self-voted leader, tells us that we are not to go near the city.

When he starts to guide us towards one of the smaller cars, I stop and request a weapon. "What if we run into trouble? I'm not willing to go in defenceless."

"You haven't got any weapon training, it would be safer for you not to have weapons" Shane argues after looking the three of us over.

"I used to go hunting, I can use a hunters knife and a shotgun" I inform him. "Just give me a blade and we'll be fine."

"You, hunting?" he snorted.

"Shane, she spent five years in juvie... for murder!" the woman from yesterday and who had come with Shane, her name had 'Ri' in there somewhere, loudly whispers to him.

"You seriously believed that?" I snorted. "You're stupider than you look. I've never attempted to kill anybody...yet."

I watch her jaw clench in anger and I can't help but give her a small smirk. Shaking her head, she stormed away from the group and over to where the other mothers sat looking after the children. I turn back to Shane, raising an eyebrow and holding out my hand.

"You think I'm going to give you a knife when you lied and scared people?!" he shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, how else was I going to get the woman off my case?" I say. "Thought I would put those acting classes to use. Besides, its not like I _actually_ hurt them or anything."

"How do we know you're not lying about something else? You could be lying about not killing someone" Andrea accused, her eyes flickering to Amy who was on the other side of the camp and help Jacqui.

I hold up my left hand, putting the right over my heart. "I swear to any God that exists that I have never killed a... non-monster-thingy person and I swear to, from now on, be honest with anything that may affect the group."

"Give her the knife Shane, I spoke with her daddy before... all of this, I'll vouch for her" Dale says, not taking those too knowledgeable eyes off of me.

Dale spoke with my dad?! When?! I don't remember him being around my dad, I was only gone for a little while before we all left. And surly Dale would have said something to them, invited them along to safety or something.

He could be lying. He could be putting all this trust in me, knowing that I was being truthful and hoping that I would keep to my promise. But if that were so, why would he do that, why would he feel the need to stick his neck out for me, we've only just met!

After sighing and walking off to his tent, Shane comes back with a knife for me. I take the handle, weighing it in my hand. It was heavy but I had used a heavier knife before. The handle was fairly short and light brown, some symbols scratched into it. The blade was long though, nearly the length on my forearm. I would be able to kill something without getting my hand too close.

I nod my thanks, putting it back into its holder and attaching it to my black belt. Before getting into the car, I jog over to Amy and ask if I could borrow of her hair ties. She agrees and as she goes to get them, I quickly brush my hair out using my fingers.

Climbing into the car, I pull my hair into a rough ponytail and secure it using the blue hair-tie. A few strands fall free and frame my face. I keep staring forward as Glenn puts his foot on the gas and we leave the camp, refusing to look back at all the faces watching us. Its not like we'll never see them again, we'll be back before sundown.

**Amy! I, personally, love her. I don't know what to do with her character though, should I make someone else die in her place? If so, who?**

**Please leave a review, any kind is welcome. Thank you.**


	3. Highway To Hell

**Hi! I really had this one stuck in my head so here is a really quick update.**

**MeiYin Chang: While I don't like Lori or agree with what she did, I can understand why she slept with Shane. She thought Rick was dead and needed the physical comfort. I, personally, think he took advantage of her while she was grieving. **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Hope you enjoy this little chapter**

"Oh God" Natasha breathed as the highway came into view.

My stomach drops. This isn't a highway, its a graveyard. Glenn parks the car just before the opening of the trees and switches the engine off. We stare out of the windscreen in silence for a few minutes, finding hard to believe the difference from yesterday.

There were bodies on the floor, all heading the same way as if they were running from the city. Car doors hung open, bags lay on the floor which heaps of clothes hanging out. I get out of the car and walk onto the highway. Closer to the city, there were no vehicles. Bits of metal lay across the floor, some pieces were even embedded in people. Its horrible.

You know those horror moves that you watch, about the end of the world. When aliens would attack and shoot laser-beams, destroying nearly everything and killing thousands of people. You would see actors lying on the ground, playing dead. You would see the blood on the floor but know it was fake, or maybe they got it from a blood bank or something. You only knew it wasn't real.

I'd always thought that would have been the worse thing I could have seen. The fake bodies with the fake blood and fake heartache. This is the worst though, this is so much worse. You wouldn't see children in the movies, the film makers weren't that bad. But here, in real life, there were children laying on the ground.

A woman lay on the floor, in her arms a small, blue baby. His eyes were closed, his fingers up near its face. The woman was wrapped around the baby and yet still, there it was, dead; she couldn't save it. Some children lay on the ground on their own, I could even make out if they were near to a member of their family or not.

Could their parents have really left them behind? Could they have fallen and their parent had carried on without them? Or had their parents died first and the children carried on in hope of finding someone else to protect them?

Whatever the reason, the sight was horrible. The children were dead and there was nothing to be done about it. The only thing I could do was to hope it had been quick and painless, that they got out of this world without too much fear.

I look the other way and push up onto my tip-toes. Right at the far back, I can just make out my parents car. I run towards it, jumping over the bodies and running around the cars. As I get closer, the number of bodies lessen until there are none.

The car is completely intact and I can't see anything wrong with it. I pull the front passenger door open and my heart tears apart. My mom lays with her head facing towards the drivers side. Her eyes are closed and her chest is still. Her skin is grey with a hint of green and she smells awful.

I feel disgust feel me as I look down over her body... or what's left of it. I can mostly just see her bones, the flesh seeming to have been torn off. I can see through the skin of her stomach, see that all of her organs are gone. Blood covered her seat and most of the rest of the car, blood splatter. The only skin that is nearly fully intact is the skin on her face, though there is a large bite mark.

Surely someone couldn't have eaten her. An animal probably got to her, tore her apart and eat her. Yet, the teeth marks on her face seem human. Oh my god, she died just like James, eaten alive. A load of those... things must have gotten to her, peeled her skin away and ate the rest of her.

I can't even give her a funeral, instead she would have to rest in this metallic graveyard; just like all the other people. She wouldn't be cremated like she had wanted, her ashes thrown over a cliff hanging over the sea. Instead, she'd get the exact opposite.

I back away and slam the door closed. Dad isn't inside the car, where could he be?! I walk around the car, looking at the few bodies that scattered the road. None of them belonged to him, he wasn't here. He might have gotten away or died further up the road... I guess I'll never know.

Ignoring the urge to cry, I move to the boot of the car and open it up. I grab the small bag of toiletries and leave my parents suitcase of clothes behind. There's nothing else of use in the car, no food or weapons; we hadn't the chance to grab anything before fleeing.

"I'm sorry about your mom" Natasha says, coming up to me and laying a hand on my shoulder.

I shrug her off. "Its fine, she was going to die eventually. We all are."

"Such a joy" I hear her mutter as she walks off.

I walk back to our car and drop the toiletries inside before going to search a few cars. The first three cars are practically useless and I just grab the things we could use, like a map, some batteries and a baseball bat. The cars were in near spotless condition considering its the end of the world. There was no blood or dead bodies, like my old car.

The person who owned the next car was more prepared. In the boot are three large carrier bags, all filled up with water bottles and tins of food. I shift through some of the cans, tomato soup, potatoes, carrots. Not the most appealing of food but still, it was something that could fill our stomachs.

I leave the baseball bat in the boot of that car, grabbing the three bags. After telling Glenn, who is in the car next to mine, what I'm doing, I carry the bags over to our car. I squeeze the bags into a small area of the boot, trying to take up as little space as possible; we needed room for other things too.

Things are going to be so different. If we need something, we wouldn't be able to just run to the shop quickly. We won't just be able to stroll down the road and visit the park. We could only probably have certain foods now, if this was how life was really going to be; monsters eating people.

We won't be able to eat frozen meals, we haven't got a microwave or anything. We won't be able to have milk unless its that powdered stuff... does that really exist? I don't know, beats me. Unless we found a chicken, we'd have no eggs... no more omelets...

I close the boot door and start walking back to where Glenn is waiting for me. He holds the bat in his hands, letting it sway back and forth as he leans against one of the cars. He hasn't got anything else in his hands, showing he didn't find anything of use in the car.

Maybe we should all have planned more for this. We could have brought loads of tins leading up to this horror and hidden them in secret places, ready for us to come and get them when needed. But then again, no one knew anything like this would happen. Heck, no one knew it _could_ happen!

"What's that?" I ask, looking past Glenn and down the highway.

He followed my gaze, seeing the the blonde hair that bobbed slightly and gave a shrug. "Just Natasha."

"Natasha has brown hair... that person has blonde" I look around again, searching for the other woman. "I can't see Tasha anywhere. Come on."

I take my knife out as we walk towards the blonde person. We have no idea who it is, they could turn around and attack us. Someone else might have been willing to take the risk of not having their weapon out, in order to not look threatening, but I'm not. I value myself to much.

As we get closer, we see that it isn't just one person but more; at five are there. They don't turn to look at us, instead they just huddle around something. They're pulling at it and leaning over it in order to get close. And then one of them sits back.

"Oh my god" Glenn gags from where he stands slightly behind me.

Natasha's lifeless eyes stare at us, her face, or what's left of it, covered in blood. Skin is missing from her face, we could see her muscles and even bone in some places. As more of the... things... move, we're able to see more of her. Her shirt has been torn away and he stomach is ripped open. One of the things is holding her intestine, chewing on it viciously.

A few of the things have turned towards us, hearing Glenn in his moment of weakness. My throat burns as vomit tries to push its way from between my lips. My legs feel like they're going to give way and my head is spinning. My grip on the knife tightens and my heart rate picks up.

They're disgusting, easily the most vile things I've ever seen before. Each of them has grey skin with a hint of green, a few even have black patches. Some of their teeth are missing, the teeth that are still intact are either dark yellow or rotten black. One of them has most of it flesh hanging from its face and I could see its pointed cheekbone. One or two had limbs missing and so walked unbalanced towards us. Their hair was thin, most of it having fallen out and disappeared. They gargled nonsense as their sickly thin, skinless arms reach towards us.

"These aren't monsters, these are people. Dead people" I tell Glenn, backing away from the grabbing hands.

"And how do you get rid of dead people?" he asks, bring the bat up in front of him.

"Well... in the movies they say you have to destroy its head" I reply, remembering all the horror movies I watched as a teenager. "They're basically zombies. To kill a zombie, you destroy its brain."

"And you don't let them bite you either" he recalls, nodding. "or scratch, just in case."

"Right..." I agree.

Whoever thought they would be getting survival tips from a horror film?! Sure, you learn not to go into one of those creepy houses but this? Killing things, killing zombies?! Instead of watching a horror movie, you're in one, fighting for your survival against a world that wants you dead.

I had always wanted to be in a horror film but when I threw a coin into a wishing well, I didn't mean like this. I wanted to be an actress who plays a character in a horror film. Not real me fighting in a real horror flick. I could actually die, not just pretend die. There would be real blood, not tomato juice or that fake raspberry flavor blood.

One of them lunges towards me, its arms outstretched and hands grabbing for me. With a grimace, I dodge its hand and grab its wrist. Pulling it closer, I avoiding it mouth and lift my knife, plunging it into the things head. Its goes in easily with a squelching noise as the bone cracks and gives way. Its stops fighting to get to me and instead turns into... dead weight.

Pulling my knife out of its head, I let in crumble to the floor. I glance over to Glenn, my nose scrunching up as I watch him hit one over the head multiple times. Its not moving, just laying there lifeless on the ground.

"Its dead" I tell him. "Move on to another one."

Only three still huddle around the body of Natasha, the others wondering towards us in the hopes of a fresher meal. Though their eyes are glassy and lifeless, I could just imagine them dazed in lust for the taste of our flesh.

Do they even understand what they are doing? Are the people trapped inside their bodies, a prisoner inside themselves who is forced to watch as the mindlessly kill others? Are they inside there, screaming to be let out, screaming for mercy? Are they scared, are they lonely?

Or are they simply not there any more? Is the body just shell of the person who once controlled it? The body could be empty, only able to hobble around and eat any flesh they come across. They could just be dead and gone, the souls on another plane in a different existence. Or they could be in heaven or hell, that where mom thought souls went after they died.

I thrust my arm forward, pushing my knife into the eye of one of the closest members of the walking dead. I kick it away as it falls towards me, dancing backwards. Glenn was hitting another one again, its off-color brains flattened against the floor.

"Three hits'll do, Glenn" I growl, dodging the hands of a walker. "Get your ass is gear."

After our combined effort on taking down the first four, only three are left; the three eating Natasha. I walk up towards them, trying not to look at her body. Their eyes follow my movements but they make no move to grab me, to focused on their meal.

They don't bother to turn and watch as I move from their line of sight, coming up from behind them. I grab the neck of the jumper that one of the walkers are wearing, pulling it back towards me and plunging the blade through its temple so it comes out of the other side of its head.

I back off then, allowing Glenn to kill the other two like I know he wants to. He's breathing heavy, from panic and not exhaustion. Its obvious that he's stressed and freaked out as he flattens the last two walkers heads.

I kneel down beside Natasha's head and push the loose strands of hair away from her face. I gently push her eyelids down, closing her greying-blue eyes. She was dead, been and gone from this world. I don't even know her surname or if she came here with family.

"What are you doing?" Glenn asks as I going to put the knife in her head.

"There's bites all over her... we don't know if its enough to bring her back" I reply. "We can't take the risk."

"No" he shakes his head. "We can't do that to her, its not right."

"And so what, she should be left with the possibility of becoming one of them?" I point at the bodies on the floor. "_That's_ not right. We have to do it, Glenn."

He's quiet for a few minutes, looking away. "I'll meet you back at the car, I can't stay here."

I watch as he walks off, his hold on the bat tight. I completely understand why he doesn't want to do this to Natasha but its what has to be done. I mean, I don't want her sneaking up and biting me in the ass... literally.

Trying not to pay too much attention, I bring the knife down. There, its done. Now there's no chance of her coming back. She probably would have wanted it this way anyway. I mean, who would wanted to be one of those dead things? I certainly wouldn't/

After wiping the blood off the knife, I return its back to my belt and walk towards the car. My eyes keep scanning around me, waiting for more of those things to jump out and munch at my kneecaps. The last thing I need is to be taken by surprise.

"What are we going to tell the others?" Glenn asks as I get into the drivers side.

"The truth" I answer, turning the car around.

"I...I don't know if..." he trails off, shaking his head.

"I'll do the talking, you can just... got to your tent or whatever. I'll handle everything" I assure him.

We lapse into silence, both falling into our own thoughts as we make our way back towards the camp.

**So we all know from the summery that this will eventually be a Skyler/Daryl story but i can't think of a ship name for them. Any ideas? **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave me a little note with any thoughts you may have. Thank you. **


	4. Mini Me

**Sorry for the wait but I got a little stuck!**

**Saku-lee: Darler is perfect! Thank you :) ! And we'll have to wait and see, I was going to have him found last chapter but I changed my mind at the last second.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The members of the group were hovering as we pulled up to camp. Some walked around aimlessly, as if they were looking for something to do or as if they were one of the walking dead themselves. The short haired mom was sitting with the children at a picnic table while mother Ri worked at the camp fire. I could see Shane and Dale in a deep conversation, both looking undecided on whatever they were talking about. The two bloods were nowhere to be seen, probably down by the water washing their hair. I could see the Dixon brothers sitting outside their tent, Daryl dragging his knife along the edge of something while Merle just played with his knife.

I park the car alongside Dale's RV, opening the car door while still turning it off. Slamming the door, I go to the boot and start grabbing whatever is inside. Apart from the things I had collected, there were two more bags filled with things I couldn't see.

I grab my bag of toiletries and two of the food bags that I had collected and began walking away from the car. Ignoring the people who had began to walk towards us, I drop the food near the fire pit and carry on towards my tent. I leave the toiletries on the sleeping bag, by the pillow, ready for me to use later.

I turned to leave my tent and as I started to exit, something nagged at me. I stopped, turning around and letting my eyes scan around again. My bag was in the far right hand corner, the zip open with a top hanging out of it. The sleep bag lay unrolled on the left side of the entrance with the toiletries. The rest of the tent was bare.

What was nagging at me though, what made me stop. Something must have been out of place, that could be the only thing that made me stop and look around. Everything was the same as this morning, apart from the dirty clothes in the corner that were now missing. The clothes.

I left the tent, making sure it is zipped closed behind me before turning to the rest of the camp. "Who the bloody hell has been in my tent?!"

"What?" Ri asked.

"Somebody's been in my tent, I have things missing" I told her.

"What things?" Dale asked, taking off his hat and wiping the back of his hand across his forehead.

"My clothes" I answered. "They're gone. They were in the corner of the tent and now they're not."

"We took them... to be washed" Ri explained. "We thought you might want some fresh clothes for tomorrow."

I shook my head, sighing. "Ask next time, I could have have private stuff in those pockets."

"And what private stuff is that, sweetheart?" Merle shouted over, a dirty smirk on his face.

"Flavoured condoms" I shouted back. "They would be a good few sizes too big for you though."

The smirk dropped from Merle's face and instead he sent me a narrow eyed glare. I gave his a small smile in return, eyebrows raised, challenging him to make a reply. He doesn't reply though and goes back to fiddling with his knife, sending his brother a quick dirty look.

I looked to Daryl. He sat to Merle's right, skinning an animal; squirrel? Those his face was as cold as stone, the corner of his lips picked up in a small smirk. Beside his sat some bare animal bodies, already missing the skin which kept them warm and is now on the floor on the other side of Daryl. I supposed he and Merle were going to have a good bit of meat for dinner.

"Where's Natasha?" Shane asks as I walk back towards the car.

My eyes flicker to meet Glenn's. "She didn't make it."  
"What do you mean she 'didn't make it'?!" he demanded of me, hands on his hips.

"Those things got her, ate her. She didn't even scream" I shook my head. "Maybe if she had, we could have saved her."

"Why weren't you with her, you were meant to be with her?" Mother one, 'Ri', says and her voice sounds accusing, as if we meant to get her killed.

"We were checking cars, she decided to take off to search one further done the highway, didn't tell us. We didn't even hear those walkers. We saw something moving, we went to look. There were seven of them, all crowded round her" I explained. "They must have bitten her throat out first, stopped her from screaming maybe."

I grabbed the last couple of bags as Glenn stood by the boot, jaw locked. No doubt he felt responsible for the death of Natasha. We should all have been watching each other back, making sure all of us were safe. Instead, we had separated and Natasha had died.

I supposed he could also be stuck on the thought that it could have been him. It could have been his body on the floor, walkers crowded around it while his flesh was being ripped off. He could have been swarmed by the pack, taken down and killed without even the chance to call out for help. He could have been Natasha.

But he wasn't her, he wasn't dead and that's what he had to remember. What had happened couldn't be changed. What's been done is done. It wasn't his fault and he was still here. If he let the guilt pull him down, he was going to get nowhere and I try to tell him that silently as I meet his eyes again.

It what I told myself, there was nothing I could do now. There was nothing I probably could have done. If I had been there, if she had of screamed, she would probably have still been bitten. And if a person was bitten, that person was as good as dead. That was common knowledge to anyone who had seen any horror movies.

"What about your parents?" Mother two, the one with the husband who looked like an animal, asked, her voice soft.

"Mom was eaten... Dad was nowhere to be seen. Could have been caught higher up the highway" I shrug. "Either way, they're both gone."

"I'm sorry" she said, giving a small, sympathetic smile.

"Its fine, nothing to be done about it anyway" I shrug again. "Anyway, we found a good amount of food. It should last a while."

"What about weapons?" Shane questioned, shifting through the contents of one of the bags.

"Just the bat" Glenn spoke up, his voice quiet and sad.

"And if Glenn has it, you should stay away" I joked, backing away from him.

Glenn gave a small smile, looking down at the bat with blood on the end. His smile quickly dropped though, the memory of what we had to do coming back into his mind. He was probably thinking about how brutal, how forceful, he had been when killing those things.

"We should go get Natasha's body... bury her" Mom two said, her voice quiet and only just above a whisper.

"It'd be dangerous, could be more of those things"

"She was one of us, tried to help us" 'Ri' agreed with a nod, thin arms crossed over her chest. She turned to look at Shane. "We should go back for her."  
"You better keep the kids inside then" I tell her. She turns to me now, her eyebrows raised as if to ask if she requested my opinion. I shrug at her. "You want them to see the bite marks all over her, her guts hanging out, the hole in her forehead where I stopped her from coming back? Fine, up to you."

"You done _what_ to her?!" she seethed, storming forward to stand right in front of me

"They're zombies. Have you ever watched a zombie movie? You get bit, you die and then come back as one of them. Simple" I explained. "I didn't want to get my ass bit by her."

"You are unbelievable" 'Ri' shook her head.

"Why? Because I stopped her from coming back. What if she did come back, and she realised that she was killing people but couldn't stop herself? Do you think she would have wanted that to happen to her? I bet she is sitting on a little cloud _thanking_ me for doing that to her" I argued. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got some things to do."

I walk away from the group, annoyed beyond compare. How could they talk to me like that? I done them all a favour. What if she had come back as one of those thing and made her way back to camp? What if she had gotten here and attacked us, bitten and killed the rest of us? How would we being feeling then, after letting her become one of _them_?

Yes, what happened was horrible and what I done to her body was bad too but still... I may not have known Natasha, but I doubted she would have wanted to be one of those walkers. Who would want to be one, really? I know, if I was every bitten or anything, I would want to be shot in the head as soon as possible. That way, I would be able to hurt anyone else and I would cause any fear or potential harm.

The way I saw it, it was an act of mercy. If they came back, going through the change could be very painful, destroying her head would stop her from having that pain. If you came back as one of those things and proceeded to find people for food, that would be murder. You would be a murderer.

I enter my tent, pulling my blooded shirt off and throwing it into the corner. It would have to be cleaned, the blood of the walkers scrubbed out of it. I could ask mom two to clean it for me, I prefer her over Ri. I replace it with a dull grey one, baggy and loose.

"Miss Skyler?" I turn towards the entrance of the tent. There stands a young girl, not much shorter than me. Her brown hair fell in loose waves to just under her shoulders and had a leaf stuck in it, as if she had run through the trees and a leaf had fell and landed on her head. She wore a light pink top with pictures of horses, dogs and cameras on it, along with little butterflies and a pair of jeans. On her feet were a pair of nude trainer boots, the laces tied in a neat bow.

"Did she die painfully?" The girl asks, ringing her fingers together.

It takes me a moment to realise who she is talking about. "I... I don't know. I hope not, though."

She nods, thoughtfully. "I heard what you said to Carl's mom, Lori. You did the right thing, putting her down like that." she assured me. Did she really understand? "Mom wouldn't have wanted to be one of them."

_Mom_?! Natasha was the girls mom?! "Natasha was your mom?" the girl nods, her bottom lip trembling as she looked to the floor. "I'm sorry... Where's your dad, does he know."

The girl shrugs, wiping a hand across her face. "We lost him on the highway, we were running away from the city but mom and I... we got separated from him. That's when Glenn found us, he let us ride in his car. He brought us here."

"What's your name?" I asked her. "How old are you?"  
"Hannah, I'm Hannah" she replied with a small smile. "I'm thirteen."

Yesterday, the girl had to go through loosing her dad and now, today, she had to go through loosing her mom. That shouldn't have to happen to someone, loosing their parents over a twenty-four time span.

I was in the same situation as a thirteen year old. Our moms are dead, taken by the living dead of this new world. And our dads, we don't even know where they are or is they are still alive. We're both alone in this new world, left to fight for our own survival.

The only difference is that I _could_ survive. I know how to kill them, I'm strong enough to use a weapon, can set trap to get food. The girl couldn't do any of that, she wouldn't last a day on her own. If the rest of us weren't here, she could be dead. She could have been laid on that highways, her mother's body beside her. Or she could have just disappeared, maybe run into the woods. Or, if she were truly unlucky, she could have become one of those things.

For some reason, this thought makes my chest ache and bubble. A person, only ten years younger than me, could make me feel this angered and upset. She was like a little me, minus the whole killing animals thing; I had already caught a rabbit and a squirrel or two by her age.

But she's never had to catch food like I did, she never had a reason to. She would need to know how to catch food, kill it and cook it in order to survive. She'll need to learn how to hunt it as well, something I need to learn too. We're in the same boat for sure.

"Come on" I say, stepping around her and exiting the tent. I lead her over to the Dixon brothers who were still doing the same things as they had been only a few minutes earlier. Daryl's head moved a little, only so he could see our feet. He must know what shoes everyone wears, be able to know who they are that way. Merle, though, looks up fully. He raises an eyebrow at me, asking the silent question of why I am there.

I ignore him, turning my attention to his younger brother. "Hey Daryl... I was wondering, would you be willing to teach us how to track and stuff?"

"Us?" he says, keeping his eyes on the small rabbit he is skinning.

"Yeah, Hannah and I" I gesture behind me towards the girl. "Her parents are... gone... I thought it would be good if she knew how to get herself food, you know, in case something ever happens. Plus, I would like to add tracking to my resume."

"Hannah?" he asks, lifting his head up.

He leans around me to see her and I turn to look as well. She stood which her shoulders hunched over, trying to remain hidden inside herself. Her arms wrapped around her middle, trying to keep as little of herself visible as possible. Her brown eyes were locked on the floor and her lower lip was held between her teeth. She glanced up briefly, looking at me but not at the brothers.

"Ya sure that's a good idea?" Daryl asked, turning his blue eyes on me.

"Yes" I answered. "She needs to know, after all, how else would she get food in this world?"

"Hmm" he mumbles.

His eyes rack over us then, tracking down our bodies and measuring us up. It would have made me uncomfortable if I hadn't of known what he was doing. He wasn't checking us out, not in that sense. He was looking at our actual body shape, seeing his our bodies were in good shape to keep up with the hard work of being a hunter.

I glanced over to his brother, knowing he would be something totally different. And I was right. He was looking at Hannah, lips pursed as his eyes racked over her thin body and long legs. I felt disgust fill me, he had to be over twenty years her senior. Though I admit, she could pass as a sixteen to seventeen year old.

"Fine. Tomorrow, early" Daryl nodded, going back to the rabbit.

"Thank you. Han, why don't you go see if Carol needs any help getting some food ready?" I suggested, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah, okay" she nods, turning and walking off.

I wait until she's out of earshot to turn to Merle. "Don't you dare look at her like that. She's thirteen."

"Thir'een?" he shook his head. "Damn... had some fine legs."  
"I mean it Merle, don't you go near her" I warn. "I'm not afraid to stick a knife in your skull. Stay away from that girl."

With that, I turn and walk away. I give Hannah a small smile as I pass the fire and go to my tent. Merle had better stay away from the kid, she was too young for any of that stuff, no matter what world we now lived in. I'd be damned if I let him touch her like that. She'd been through enough already, I wasn't about to make her go through the horror of Merle looking at her.

**So, you've met Hannah. Hannah is actually based on my sister, who has the same name. The only difference is that my Hannah is fourteen. She begged me to add her as a character, so I thought 'Why not?!' . If you want to see what i picture Our Hannah as, just ask in a review and I'll send you a link to the photo on Instagram :) **

**Please leave a review with your opinion, thank you!**


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